Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill along with 79 ag and Iowa businesses have sent this letter to Iowa's congressional delegation urging swift passage of USMCA:

The Honorable Charles E. Grassley The Honorable Dave Loebsack

135 Hart Senate Office Building 1211 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Joni Ernst The Honorable Cindy Axne

730 Hart Senate Office Building 330 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Abby Finkenauer The Honorable Steve King

124 Cannon House Office Building 2210 Rayburn Office Building

Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515

September 9th, 2019

We, the 79 undersigned groups and businesses, are writing you in support of the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). This trade deal is essential to Iowa farmers, businesses, and families and provides economic predictability that Iowa needs for the future. We encourage you to vote in favor of this agreement.

Over the last 25 years, U.S. food and agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico have more than quadrupled under NAFTA while supporting more than 900,000 American jobs in food and agriculture and related sectors of the economy. USMCA builds on the success of the NAFTA agreement, and will ultimately lead to freer markets and fairer trade. This new trade agreement not only locks in the market opportunities previously developed with our North American neighbors, but it also builds on those trade relationships in a number of key areas. Due to key reforms we expect to build on Mexico’s current profile of being an $18 billion market for U.S. ag products and increase access into the Canadian market. These advances help provide certainty in the North American market, which is essential to the success of American agriculture.

The USMCA is also beneficial for Iowa businesses. The International Trade Commission’s report, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement: Likely Impact on the U.S. Economy and Specific Industry Sectors, concludes that the agreement "would likely have a positive impact on all broad industry sectors within the U.S. economy", raising U.S. GDP by $68.2 billion.

In 2017, more than $6 billion of Iowa exports flowed into Canadian and Mexican markets, making the two countries Iowa’s top two trading partners. Additionally, the top Iowa export to Canada and Mexico during this time was machinery products representing more than $1.5 billion. As Iowa companies look to enhance manufacturing and business production in the state, USMCA will enhance their prospects at creating jobs and opportunities for Iowans.

The USMCA also accounts for critically important business aspects that were not adequately addressed under NAFTA. For example, the addition of a digital trade chapter within USMCA will allow for expanded growth in the digital economy for businesses of all sizes. It also provides the freedom to share data across borders while enhancing intellectual property protections.

Iowa businesses depend on free trade to create jobs, expand their business, and make investments in their home communities. This agreement will enhance all aspects of Iowa’s economy including agriculture, manufacturing, service industry, and the ever-expanding digital economy.

USMCA is good for Iowa’s farmers and businesses. We urge you to support this agreement, and work with Congress to pass USMCA now.